


Momentary

by yushez



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Romance, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24253636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yushez/pseuds/yushez
Summary: Fifteen moments in the life of Ash and Misty as they grow older and apart. Some short and some not long enough, but each somewhat important in bringing them closer. [One-Shot]
Relationships: Kasumi | Misty & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Kudos: 5





	Momentary

**Author's Note:**

> So you may have already seen this on ff.net, but I've finally decided to try out AO3 and what better way to start than upload my one-shots here.  
> This was written sometime around Sun and Moon had just begun airing and a cameo by Misty and Brock were a distant, distant dream. So consider this an AU where Misty and Brock do not meet up with Ash during his Alola run. Their ages go from 15 to 18 by the end of the story. 
> 
> Happy reading!

15

She sits down abruptly, the ground is slightly damp and she can feel the mud attach itself to her clothes but it doesn’t bother her. Summer nights are pleasant in Kanto, and all she wanted to do was take a stroll in the woods near Cerulean City, but she had forgotten how confusing the forests could be at night, even if she had been visiting this one since she was a child. So she sits down, not caring about the dirt, to gather her thoughts and find her way back. But it is then that she wonders, whether she even wants to go back. Her family was tiring, the gym was tiring. Her pokemon and an occasional visit or letter from old friends were her only relief. She had grown up too fast and she wanted to go back. Back to those days when crossing forests was something she could do with her eyes closed, to those days when she could sleep under the open sky with the warmth of the campfire making her feel safe. However, decisions needed to be taken and she had settled with the right one.

She heard a familiar groan and a chirp, a nag and a sigh, her eyes shone as she watched a fading image of her younger self pass her by, heading deeper into the forest accompanied by her three travelling companions and the usual chatter that surrounded them. A smile appeared on her lips as the ghosts of her past vanished into thin air, they were going to get lost, she remembered. She chuckled and looked up at the star studded sky, it was a beautiful night and she needed to enjoy it, she thought, even if she had to do it alone. She stood up and let her feet take control, knowing that no matter what, she’d find her way home.

14

Ash was a forgetful person, everyone knew that. He also didn’t like thinking about complicated things, it gave him a headache and he could feel himself getting older. He was insensitive at times, and very stubborn too, once he set his mind on something it was difficult to stop him. But there were some sides to his personality that none were aware of. He had a terrible habit of writing letters but never posting them, he had a habit of dialing a phone number but hanging up before the call went through, he had a habit of buying things that he thought someone would like but never giving it to them. Somehow, this overtly clumsy side of his only showed itself when a certain redhead was involved. Every time he’d come home from his travels, the pile of unsent letters and tiny packages he’d hidden in his room would grow larger. He’d been in Alola for some time now, longer than his usual journeys, and he was starting to get anxious about his mother snooping around in his room. He voiced his concern to Pikachu one night, but his best friend was no expert in human emotions so he only repeated that Mom was a good person. Ash wasn’t doubting his mother’s kindness, just her ability to stay out of his business but he could not get Pikachu to understand him so he sighed and gave up. What has to happen, will happen, he thought.

What happened was, in a drive to clean every inch of the house, Mr. Mime discovered Ash’s pile of regrets and presented it to Delia. One look at the top letter and the little gifts, she understood her son’s intentions, and being the kind and helpful mother that she was, she packed all of it in a box and posted it to the person it was meant for.

13

Misty had slept in the same clothes that she had worn for her midnight stroll, so when she woke up she wasn’t surprised to see the mud on her sheets only unimpressed with herself. She was however, surprised when she began her first task of the day, which was sorting the mail and noticed the box that had arrived for her from Pallet Town. Curiosity won over shock and she hurriedly opened up the box.

She spent the next few hours locked up in her room, informing her sisters that she was down with a bad flu and they should stay away from her, which they promptly did. She couldn’t process what was happening, there was a pen with a Piplup on it, a box with Oshawott shaped cookies, a Manaphy locket and a Tympole t-shirt inside the box along with a stack of letters. She took a deep breath and began reading from the bottom of the pile.

12 

Pikachu couldn’t understand why his trainer looked like his soul had left his body. Their new companions looked at him expectantly as they knew that Pikachu understood Ash more than they did, but sadly the yellow rodent had no answer for his friends. The call with Mom had gone well in Pikachu’s opinion, but at the end of it Mom said something that made Ash scream and end the call abruptly. He had been sitting on his couch-bed ever since, looking like a dead man.

11 

Delia was pleasantly surprised with the doorbell ringing so early in the morning as she hadn’t been expecting anyone today. When she opened the door, she was greeted by a slightly out of breath but seemingly upset Misty. She understood why the redhead was here and ushered the girl into her kitchen so she could quickly whip up some breakfast for the long chat that lay ahead of them.

“Did you send them or did he?” Misty asked, without missing a beat.

Delia had only just begun pulling out the pancake mix from the cupboard, she paused midway and turned around to face the redhead, “I did...” she replied earnestly. She watched as Misty’s face fell and she got up, as if to leave so Delia rushed to her side, putting her arms on the younger girl’s shoulders she continued, “You know how forgetful Ash can be, I’m sure he meant to-”

“If he really did want to send them, he would have.”

10 

Ash was having difficulty sleeping ever since his mother informed him that she had sent Misty all those gifts and letters that he had set aside for her in his room. In the beginning he couldn’t sleep because he couldn’t process the thought of those things actually reaching Misty. Now his mind was clouded with what she must have thought of them.

_ Did the t-shirt fit her fine? _

_ Were the cookies still edible after a year? _

_ Did she like the locket and the pen? _

_ Did she read all the letters or just some of them? _

_ Did she find them interesting or boring? _

He just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time his mother called, he’d ask her if she had replied or dropped by the house, but the answer was same, no she hadn’t. He waited patiently for a letter from her to arrive in the mail, he thought maybe she was taking her time because she didn’t know what to say or she had too much to say. But her reply never came and Ash became disappointed, then irritated and then eventually, he forgot about it.

9 

Misty wanted to leave the minute she entered the house. The Ketchum household had always felt like home to her, but she was stepping foot in it after almost three years and her last visit hadn’t exactly been enjoyable. The house was crowded, which she was grateful for, but there were a lot of unfamiliar faces as well. She had been slightly late, intentionally, so the victory party was already in full-force, with the victor in question constantly surrounded by his friends. She stuck to talking to the people she knew, occasionally her eyes would drift towards him and she watched him only from afar, too afraid to approach him.

He spent the night surrounded by the league members and champions of the different region, but later in the night, a short-haired blonde attached herself to him. Every time Misty’s eyes would reach him, she’d be there next to him, smiling and laughing naturally as if she belonged there. The more she watched them together, the more suffocated she felt. There were too many people in the room, they were being too loud, it felt as if the walls were closing in on her, so she managed to slip out into the front garden as discreetly as she could to breathe. She stood outside in the dark, breathing heavily, and trying to piece her mind back together. She placed a hand on her chest and waited patiently for her heartbeat to slow down. It took a while but she was able to pull herself together and then she decided to leave. She took a few steps forward when she heard the door open behind her, the loud noises from inside the house floated through the air for an instant but then the door was shut and the noise died down. She decided to carry on, not bothering to check if someone had come out or not but the loud familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

8

“I see you kept the locket,” Ash said loudly, and watched as the redhead stopped and turned around slowly.

Their eyes met for the first time in years and suddenly he felt like looking away and keeping her gaze at the same time. Fortunately for him, Misty was the first to look away as her eyes fell down onto the Manaphy locket on her neck. She didn’t meet his eye when she replied.

“Did you expect me to throw it away?”

“Not really, I expected a reply,” Ash frowned, he was seeing her after such a long time that he couldn’t seem to stop looking at her, but she was looking everywhere except at him.

She scoffed in reply and shook her head, finally looking up to meet his gaze, “Congratulations on the title.”

He could hear the sincerity in her words but her eyes looked tired and her smile wasn’t bright enough, why, he couldn’t understand. He also couldn’t understand the anger slowly churning up at the bottom of his stomach, today was supposed to be a happy day for him so why couldn’t she be happy too?

“Thanks for showing up to the finals,” the words left his mouth before he could rethink them, each letter dripping with bitterness he didn’t know he was capable of feeling. 

Her cerulean eyes flashed with anger as she balled up her fists trying to keep herself in check, “Maybe I would have, if my invitation hadn’t gotten lost in the mail.” Her reply didn’t miss a beat and Ash should have known better than to challenger her head on.

7 

Turning away and leaving was much easier when he didn’t bother to stop her. She held back her emotions until she was settled inside the rapid train back to Cerulean. As soon as her head hit the window pane, the tears began to flow out of her eyes effortlessly.

She had imagined their reunion a million times in her head.

But none had turned out like the reality she had just faced.

By the time Misty reached the comfort of her room, she had already decided that it was finally time to move on.

6

Ash kept his voice low as he faced his mother, careful not to wake some of the guests who had fallen asleep in the living room, “You lied to me.” He stated clearly.

Delia looked over her shoulder to find her son glaring intently at her, an expression she hadn’t seen on his face for a long time. Knowing very well what this was all about she decided to play innocent for a while longer, “Whatever do you mean, sweetie?”

“Misty did reply to my letters didn’t she?” He almost spat back at her. Delia found it endearing and reminiscent of his father, the fact that Ash was still trying to be respectful despite of being livid with her.

“No, Ash. She came to see me a few days after I posted them.” Delia replied quietly, their house was still filled with guests after all.

“And what did she say? What did you tell her?” The urgency in Ash’s voice clearly indicated that Misty’s early exit from the party last night had not been because she was feeling under the weather as her message in the morning had claimed.

“She wanted to know if I posted the letters on your behalf and I simply told her the truth.” Delia said softly.

“And why did you keep this hidden from me for so long?”

Now this was the question Delia wasn’t prepared to answer, “Ash, I just…” she began but had to pause to look for the right words, “I didn’t want to be the reason you lost your focus.” They weren’t the words she had been looking for but they were the ones she remembered. 

“I’m not Dad you know,” Ash muttered avoiding her gaze as he continued, “as much as I look like him. I wouldn’t have lost my focus even if you had told me the truth Mom, if there is one thing that I have been sure about in life, it’s my goal to be a Pokemon Master.” 

“I’m sorry, Ash.”

5

Her skill to hold her breath under water for minutes was something she had been proud of since she was a baby. But as a trainer it helped Misty train with her water pokemon in a way unique only to her. She had been learning the movements of Dragon Dance with her Gyarados for some time now. He’d perform the move countlessly for her underwater and she would try to copy his fluid movements but there were some turns that she just couldn’t master, so she had started to devote an hour to this training every day. Her other pokemon found it very amusing that instead of teaching them a move, she was trying to learn from them and would occasionally join in. Gyarados was more than happy to be in total control of the situation and lately, the training had evolved into more of an underwater dancing session among all the pokemon of the Cerulean Gym and their leader.

When she resurfaced and came face to face with Pikachu all of a sudden, she almost let out a shriek. From behind her Psyduck rushed to the surface to greet Pikachu, happy to see his friend after so long. The pool area of the Cerulean city gym was suddenly filled with loud, happy cries of various pokemons as they all came forward to greet their friend Pikachu, and his trainer who stood a few paces behind the electric mouse.

“Were you trying to drown yourself?” Ash asked, skipping past any greetings and explanations breezily, “I’ve been standing here for what, ten minutes?”

“No. I’m trying to learn Dragon Dance.” Misty responded, and instantly regretted it. She cursed herself mentally as she climbed out of the pool. Whatever happened to her strong resolve from last night? If nothing else, she should definitely be serving Ash with a strong silent treatment, but here she was taking the conversation forward. Once she stood up and looked at him, she found him staring at her blankly with his mouth wide open.

“You’re trying to learn a dragon-type move?” He replied, nothing but confusion covering his face.

“No, I’m trying to learn the movements to the dragon-type move,” She answered, rolling her eyes at his denseness, some things never do change.

As clarity dawned upon Ash, he ran his chocolate coloured eyes over her body with an expression of interest that she had never seen on his face before. Only recently had Misty switched from her usual one piece swimsuit to a bikini as it allowed her to move her torso more freely which made it easier to keep up with Gyarados. And up until now, she hadn’t seen it as much of a change but the glint in Ash’s eye made her immediately reconsider her wardrobe choice of the day. She felt herself redden under his gaze, and quickly made her way towards the towel rack to cover herself up.

Once she faced him again, she noticed a tint of pink on Ash’s cheeks as he himself must’ve realized that he had stared for longer than was considered normal.

4

Pikachu quickly climbed up on to his shoulder the moment he realized that Ash was getting nervous. He had practiced the conversation he wanted to have with the redhead with his partner on the train ride to Cerulean, so Pikachu considered himself as the torch bearer who would see Ash throught the end of this situation. Obviously, the rodent didn’t comprehend that his trainer’s fidgeting wasn’t just because he was worried about the way things would turn out between him and Misty, but more so because he had seen her in a bikini for the first time. Which technically should not have affected him as much, considering she bared her mid-riff the entire time they travelled together as kids.

But, after all, they clearly weren’t kids anymore.

Pikachu nuzzled his nose against Ash’s cheek to get his attention, which broke his train of thought heading steadily down the wrong direction. The raven haired boy shook his head furiously to clear it of all thoughts except the speech he had practiced in the morning and decided to cut right to the chase.

“I just want to you to know that I didn’t send the letters, not because I didn’t want to,” he started, speaking fast so he could get it over with as soon as possible, “but because, I didn’t have the courage to.” He stopped to catch a breath and also muster up all his remaining guts for the last bit, “and that ever since we parted ways from Johto, not a single day has gone by when I haven’t thought of you.”

Ash didn’t want to wait for a reply, in fact he was dreading it so when Misty didn’t say anything immediately after he finished speaking, he turned on his heels to leave. She’d already walked out on him once, so now it was his turn to return the favour.

3

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not coming to watch the finals,” she called out abruptly, Ash was already near the exit but she knew her voice had reached him as he halted in his tracks but didn’t turn around to face her. Even in the million reunion scenarios she had fantasized about in her head, she’d never imagined Ash saying something so purely honest that made her heart beat faster than the speed of light. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to give him a similar kind of response but she knew that she at least owed him an honest apology.

So she easily closed the distance between them, slightly relieved that he still wasn’t facing her because it was easier to get the words out that way, “I know it didn’t sound like it when I said it last night, but I am really happy that you won.” She lowered her eyes towards the ground as she added, “Champion.”

2 

Pikachu read the atmosphere faster than the two trainers and happily jumped into Misty’s arms from Ash’s shoulder and snuggled up to her, mewing softly.

Ash turned to face her even as he felt a slight blush creep up on his face from hearing her call him by his new title for the first time, grinning ear to ear he teasingly asked her, “Who’s the wannabe now?”

The redhead returned his cocky grin with an exasperated smile and hugged Pikachu even tightly as she giggled, “But the real Champion is you, Pikachu, for being able to stick with a trainer like him for so long.”

The newly crowned Champion rolled his eyes in response, when all he really wanted to do was sigh in relief. He hadn’t been able to settle down since their meeting last night and had gone to sleep thinking that despite of winning his dream, he may have lost something just as important to him. But he felt his whole body relax as the fact that everything was okay between him and Misty finally registered in his brain. Not wanting to lose the momentum, he decided to take a chance.

“So, since I’m here already. Why don’t we go out for lunch?”

It was satisfying, to put it simply, to watch Misty turn completely red under his gaze as she struggled to reply.

1

“Su-sure…lunch would be doable,” Mew, she hated how her voice sounded right now, but what was more annoying was how much Ash was enjoying watching her squirm. He’d managed to get so much more confident and cocky after gaining a mere two centimeters over her.

“Let me just get dressed quickly,” She managed in her normal bossy tone, gesturing towards her swimsuit.

“Why, I’d prefer you in this than any other clothes any day,” Ash tilted his head and smirked at her, indicating that he had clearly won this round.

It was only a second later that the mallet knocked him straight to the ground.

-x-


End file.
